System And Method For Forming Automatically Launching User Set Default App From Smartphone

ABSTRACT

A system is disclosed for automatically restarting an application running on a smartphone present in a predetermined environment, after the application has been paused. A hardware interconnect apparatus may be configured to establish a first communications link with the smartphone, and also to establish a second communications link with an electronic device present at the predetermined environment. A processor executable auto launch application may be adapted to run on the smartphone to detect when a previously selected application has been at least one of stopped or paused, and to automatically re-start the previously selected application without a command being physically entered on the smartphone by a user of the smartphone.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/550,090, filed on Oct. 21, 2011. The entire disclosure of the aboveapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to smartphones applications, and moreparticularly to a system and method for automatically starting a userset default application on a smartphone through the use of a hardwareinterconnect apparatus, and an automatic launcher program, thatwirelessly interfaces the user's smartphone to another subsystem, andautomatically launches a default application when the user enters thevehicle and starts it.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background informationrelated to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Smartphones are exploding in popularity, as are the number ofapplications that are available to run on smartphones. Many suchapplications are helpful to use in connection with other subsystems. Asone example, some applications are helpful to use in connection with aradio system of a user's motor vehicle such as a car or truck. Suchapplications may involve obtaining music, traffic or weather informationfor playback over the vehicle's radio system. This may be accomplishedby using a hardware interconnect apparatus, for example the LIVIO®Connect API interconnect apparatus available from Myine, Inc. ofFerndale, Mich., which creates a wireless communications link betweenthe user's smartphone and the vehicle radio. This is but one example,and it will be appreciated that other implementations could be provided.As another example, a pair of headphones could be the subsystem thatwirelessly interfaces with the smartphone. For convenience, the abovedescribed implementation of a smartphone being used by a user within amotor vehicle will be used for the remainder of this description toprovide a detailed example of how the subject matter of the presentdisclosure may be implemented.

While the use of a hardware interconnect device and a smartphone withina vehicle can provide a number of useful and convenient applicationservices for the user to use while travelling in the vehicle, if theuser needs to exit the vehicle for a few minutes while a particularapplication is running, this can cause the application to be “paused” ortemporarily interrupted. When the user gets back into the vehicle andstarts it, the hardware interconnect apparatus re-synchs with the user'ssmartphone, but the previous application that was running on the user'ssmartphone will be paused. In this case the user will typically berequired to access his/her smartphone and manually restart theapplication.

As one can appreciate, the need for the user to manually restart asmartphone application that was previously running, each time the userre-enters his/her vehicle after it has been stopped, can be ofsignificant inconvenience to the user. For example, individuals involvedin sales or service activities often spend many hours during the courseof a day in their vehicles, and must make frequent stops where theyleave and then re-enter their vehicles a short time later. Each timethey re-enter their vehicle after a stop, typically the defaultapplication on his/her smartphone will be stopped or paused (as a resultof the vehicle ignition being turned off). The user then needs to accesshis/her smartphone manually restart the default application. This can bequite an inconvenience, especially if one needs to do it several times aday while travelling in his/her vehicle.

SUMMARY

In one aspect the present disclosure relates to a system forautomatically restarting an application running on a smartphone presentin a predetermined environment, after the application has been paused.The system may comprise a hardware interconnect apparatus configured toestablish a first communications link with the smartphone, and a secondcommunications link with an electronic device present at thepredetermined environment. A processor executable auto launchapplication may be included that is adapted to run on the smartphone todetect when a previously selected application has been at least one ofstopped or paused, and to automatically re-start the previously selectedapplication without a command being physically entered on the smartphoneby a user of the smartphone.

In another aspect the present disclosure relates to a system forautomatically restarting an application running on a smartphone presentin a vehicle, after the application has been one of paused or stopped ata first time when the user leaves the vehicle, and re-enters the vehicleat a second time subsequent to the first time. The system may comprise ahardware interconnect apparatus configured to transmit a first wirelesssignal to establish a first wireless communications link with thesmartphone, and a second signal to establish a second wirelesscommunications link with a radio of the vehicle. A processor executableauto launch application may be included which is adapted to run on thesmartphone and to automatically launch a user preselected application. Aprocessor executable watcher service application may also be includedwhich is adapted to run on the smartphone and to monitor for the firstwireless communications signal being transmitted from the hardwareinterconnect apparatus, and to assist in establishing the first wirelesscommunications link without intervention by the user. The processorexecutable auto launch application may further be configured to detectwhen a previously selected application has been at least one of stoppedor paused, and to automatically re-start the previously selectedapplication without intervention by a user of the smartphone when thesmartphone is brought into proximity with the hardware interconnectapparatus.

In still another aspect the present disclosure relates to a smartphoneadapted to automatically re-start an application running on thesmartphone that had been previously interrupted, and withoutintervention or assistance by a user of the smartphone. The smartphonemay comprise a hardware interconnect apparatus configured to establish afirst wireless communications link with the smartphone, and also asecond wireless communications link with an electronic device present atthe predetermined environment. A processor executable auto launchapplication may be adapted to run on the smartphone to detect when apreviously selected application has been at least one of stopped orpaused. The auto launch application may be adapted to automaticallyre-start the previously selected application without a command beingphysically entered on the smartphone by a user of the smartphone. Aprocessor executable watcher service application may be included whichis adapted to run on the smartphone and to monitor for a signal beingtransmitted from a remote hardware interconnect apparatus. The processorexecutable watcher service application may be adapted to assist inestablishing the first wireless communications link with the remotehardware interconnect apparatus without intervention by the user. Thefirst wireless communications link may enable the re-started, previouslyselected application to supply content being received by the smartphoneto the remote hardware interconnect apparatus.

In still another aspect the present disclosure may relate to a methodfor automatically restarting an application running on a smartphonepresent in a predetermined environment, after the application has beenpaused. The method may comprise using an interconnect apparatusconfigured to establish a first wireless communications link with thesmartphone, and to also establish a second wireless communications linkwith an electronic device present at the predetermined environment. Anauto launch application may be used which is adapted to run on thesmartphone and to detect when a previously selected application has beenat least one of stopped or paused. The auto launch application mayautomatically re-start the previously selected application without acommand being physically entered on the smartphone by a user of thesmartphone. A watcher application may also be used on the smartphone toinform the smartphone when a signal is detected from the interconnectdevice. Subsequent to receiving the signal from the interconnect device,the first wireless communications link may be established between theinterconnect apparatus and the smartphone without user intervention. Thefirst wireless communications link may be used to supply content beingreceived by the smartphone to the interconnect apparatus, and from theinterconnect apparatus via the second wireless communications link tothe electronic device.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. It should be understood that the description andspecific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram of one embodiment of the presentdisclosure implemented in connection with a smartphone and a vehicle ofa user;

FIG. 2 is a high level flowchart of operations performed by the systemof FIG. 1 when using an Apple, Inc. iPhone to automatically launch adefault application from the user's smartphone when the user turns theignition of his/her vehicle on and powers on a hardware interconnectapparatus; and

FIG. 3 is a high level flowchart of operations that occur when using asmartphone having an ANDROID® operating system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is notintended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It willbe understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding referencenumerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a high level diagram of a hardwareinterconnect apparatus 10 that may be used in connection with aprocessor executable automatic application launching API 12(“Application Programming Interface”) in accordance with one embodimentof the present application. For convenience, the automatic launchingapplication API will be referred to throughout the following discussionsimply as the “Auto Launch application 12”. The API 12 may be executedby a processor 11.

The Auto Launch application 12 is loaded into and stored in non-volatilememory (not shown) of a user's electronic device, for example asmartphone 14. The smartphone 14 may be running either an iOS operatingsystem, such as an iPhone® smartphone from Apple, Inc., (hereinaftersimply “iOS”), or it may be any type of electronic device running theANDROID® operating system (hereinafter simply the “Android operatingsystem” or “Android OS”). Both implementations are covered by thepresent disclosure. For convenience the device will be referred to asthe “smartphone 14” throughout the following discussion, although itwill be appreciated that any other type of device capable of running theiOS operating system or the Android operating system could potentiallybe used. The OS of the smartphone 14 is designated by reference number13. A processor executable “watcher service” software routine 12 a(hereinafter “watcher service 12 a”) may also run on the processor 11 oreven on a different processor (not shown). The watcher service 12 a mayform an extension of the Auto Launch application 12 and is thus alsostored on the smartphone 14. In one embodiment the watcher service 12 awatches for signals from any short range, wireless protocol enableddevice. In one implementation the BLUETOOTH® wireless communicationsprotocol is used in connection with the smartphone 14 and the hardwareinterconnect apparatus 10, and as such the smartphone 14 in this exampleforms a “Bluetooth® protocol enabled device.” For convenience, theBLUETOOTH® communications protocol will be referred to throughout thefollowing discussion simply by the name “Bluetooth”, with it beingunderstood that this name is a registered trademark, and that othersuitable wireless communications protocols could be implemented in placeof the Bluetooth protocol if desired.

The hardware interconnect apparatus 10 itself is preferably the LIVIO®Connect API interconnect apparatus available from Myine, Inc. ofFerndale, Mich. However, any suitable interconnect device that is ableto interface the user's smartphone to a vehicle radio system maypotentially be used. The LIVIO® Connect API interconnect apparatusenables a first communications link, which in this example is a suitableshort range, wireless communications link, for example a Bluetooth link16, to be established with the user's smartphone 14.

The hardware interconnect apparatus 10 may include a processor 10 a, amemory 10 b, an interface subsystem 10 c and a Bluetooth enabledwireless transceiver 10 d. The interface subsystem 10 c may be used toestablish a second communications link, in this example a wireless link18, for example through analog audio, digital audio or an RF signal,such as FM, with an electronic device associated with a predeterminedenvironment.

It will also be appreciated that instead of a wireless Bluetooth link16, a hardwired connection 16 a could be made to the hardwareinterconnect apparatus 10 via a suitable cable. The hardwired connection16 a may be made to a suitable port (not shown) on the interfacesubsystem 10 c. Such a hardwired connection may be formed by using a USBcable or any other type of cable/protocol suitable for making arelatively short range connection with hardware interconnect apparatus10. It is anticipated that in the great majority of instances, however,that users will prefer the convenience of making a wireless connectionwith the hardware interconnect apparatus 10. Accordingly, the followingdiscussion will focus on such an implementation where a wirelesscommunications link is established, but with the understanding that ahardwired connection is equally feasible.

The electronic device may be, for example, a radio system 20. Thepredetermined environment may be, for example, a motor vehicle 22 inwhich the radio system 20 is present. Of course, any implementationwhere it is desirable to automatically re-start an application runningon the smartphone 14 is considered to be within the purview of thepresent disclosure. Simply as one example, the following discussion willfocus on the implementation where the smartphone 14 is connecting to thecar radio system 20, which in turn is being used in the motor vehicle22. And while the motor vehicle 22 is shown as an automobile, andparticularly a sedan, it will be appreciated that the hardwareinterconnect apparatus 10 and the Auto Launch application 12 may beimplemented in virtually any type of vehicle (car, truck, van, boat,etc.) having an radio or stereo system that can produce audio from aninput source through installed speakers. As will be explained in greaterdetail in the following paragraphs, the Auto Launch application 12 andthe hardware interconnect apparatus 10 together operate to establish awireless link 16 (i.e., “Bluetooth link”) with the smartphone 14 as soonas the user enters the vehicle 22 and turns on the vehicle's ignitionswitch.

In general operation, when the user leaves the vehicle 22 and turns offthe vehicle ignition while the user set default application is running,the default application being handled by the hardware interconnectapparatus 10 will typically stop running or be paused. When the userre-enters the vehicle 22 and then turns on the ignition switch and turnson the radio system 20, the default application would typically notstart operating again without some manual intervention by the user. Theintervention would typically be the user physically accessing his/hersmartphone, going to the default application and commanding it tore-start. With the Auto Launch application 12, there is no need for theuser to physically access his/her smartphone upon re-entering thevehicle when the user set default application had been previouslyrunning. A principal advantage of the Auto Launch application 12 is thatas soon as the user re-enters the vehicle 22 and turns on the vehicleignition switch, the hardware interconnect apparatus 10 willautomatically establish the wireless communications link 16 with theuser's smartphone 14. The Auto Launch application 12, which will havebeen preselected by the user to automatically start running whenever theuser's smartphone 14 is powered on, will immediately command the userselected default application that was previously running when thevehicle 22 was last shut down, to begin running again. Thus, the userwill not need to physically access his/her smartphone 14 and manually goto the default application and command it to begin running again. Thisis a significant benefit and convenience to the user. This is especiallyso if the user is prone to forgetting to re-start the defaultapplication after re-entering the vehicle. Another benefit is providingapplications and content providers the business model of guaranteeingthat their product will start when the vehicle is started.

It will also be appreciated that a hard-wired connection could beestablished with the hardware interconnect apparatus 10. Thus, thehardware interconnect apparatus 10 could be configured to recognize whena hardwired connection has been made to it with the smartphone 14. TheAuto Launch application 12 could be configured to immediately launch,and thus command the user selected default application to re-start orlaunch.

Referring to FIG. 2, a more detailed flowchart 100 is shown of thevarious operations performed by the Auto Launch application 12 duringoperation. The flowchart of FIG. 2 focuses on operations performed whenthe user's smartphone 14 is an iPhone (running the iOS). Initially atoperation 102 the user enters the vehicle 22 and turns on the vehicle'signition switch. The hardware interconnect apparatus 10 powers up, asindicated at operation 104. It will be understood that there will be adefault application on the iPhone that will start if the user has notmade an explicit selection as to what application he/she wants toautomatically start. If the user has made a specific selection for adifferent application to “autostart”, then the user selected applicationwill be the one that is automatically started when the user's smartphonecomes into proximity with the car radio system 20. Also, when thesmartphone is running the Android OS, the user will have preselectedthat the Auto Launch application 12 is to start automatically wheneverthe smartphone 14 is powered on. With the iOS, the user does not need toconfigure the Auto Launch application 12 to automatically begin running.In this instance, when an iPhone is running, the iOS will pair with thevehicle's car radio system 20 when a Bluetooth session is opened withthe hardware interconnect apparatus 10. This capability will becomeavailable as soon as the user downloads and installs the Auto Launchapplication 12 on his/her iPhone.

The Auto Launch application 12 may also incorporate a menu screen thatthe user can pull up by selecting an appropriate icon on his/hersmartphone 14 display. The menu screen will display all otherapplications that the Auto Launch application 12 may synch with and thusautomatically launch. Such applications may include, without limitation,one or more of the PANDORA® streaming music application, DigitallyImported dance and music radio (DI.FM). AccuRadio, the INRIX® travelerand traffic information software, the GROOVESHARK™, Internet radiobroadcasting service, National Public Radio (NPR), GotRadio Internetradio service and LIVE365.COM® audio program hosting, just to name a fewpotential applications. The different applications could involve musicplayback, traffic, weather, or any other type of content that the userdesires to play back through the vehicle's car radio system 20, or whichmakes use of the display of the vehicle's radio system 20. The user maycheck a specific one of the applications listed in the menu and thatspecific application will thereafter be the application that the AutoLaunch application 12 will automatically start whenever the user entersthe vehicle 22. This will occur unless and until the user checks adifferent specific application to be the application that isautomatically started by the Auto Launch application 12.

At operation 106 the hardware interconnect apparatus 10, once poweredon, automatically establishes the wireless link 18 with the vehicle carradio system 20, and the wireless link 16 with the user's smartphone 22.The wireless link 16 with the user's smartphone will typically be aBluetooth wireless link, although any other suitable type of wireless orwired link could potentially be used. For the purpose of discussion itwill be assumed that wireless link 16 is a Bluetooth communicationslink.

At operation 108 the Bluetooth wireless device, which in this example isthe hardware interconnect apparatus 10, sends a radio identification(ID) signal to the smartphone 14. In this example the radio ID signalmay be “com.livio.launcher” which is used for iOS, and there may be aseparate universally unique identifier (UUID) for ANDROID® OS baseddevices. This establishes a Bluetooth® communications protocol serialport profile (SPP) signal link with the user's smartphone 14. Atoperation 110, upon receiving the radio ID signal, the Auto Launchapplication 12 is started by the user's smartphone 14. This establishesa serial port profile (SPP) signal link between the hardwareinterconnect apparatus 10 and the user's smartphone 22. At operation 112a “splash screen” notification with the Auto Launch application icon maybe displayed on the user's smartphone 14 display while the Auto Launchapplication 12 gathers information on settings from the Global Settingsmenu on the user's smartphone 14.

At operation 114 the Auto Launch application 12 obtains and starts theuser set default application. At operation 116 additional user selectedvariables associated with the default application are obtained by theAuto Launch application 12 and applied as needed for the defaultapplication that has just been started by the Auto Launch application12. At operation 118 the default application runs just as if it had beenmanually commanded to run by the user. Reference number 120 indicatesthe communications path with the default application after it has beenstarted by the Auto Launch application 12.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a flow diagram 200 of operations is shown whichprovides one example of how the Auto Launch application 12 may beimplemented with a smartphone running the Android OS. Initially atoperation 202 the Bluetooth enabled device, which in this example is thehardware interconnect device 10, is broadcasting a connection requestsignal, or is on and the smartphone 14 has initiated apairing/connection request, as indicated at arrow 204. Block 206indicates the pairing and connecting process is in progress. Arrow 208indicates the pairing and connecting process has completed. Arrow 208also indicates that an Android ACL_CONNECT broadcast has been sent toapplications that are registered. By “registered” it is meant thoseapplications that have signed up to receive this broadcast message inthe Android OS. At block 210 it is indicated that the Auto Launchapplication 12 has its own broadcast receiver class. The BroadcastReceiver class is registered with the Android OS to receive thebroadcasted notification of an ACL_CONNECT signal with a Bluetoothdevice.

Arrow 212 indicates that the broadcast receiver class of the Auto Launchapplication 12 is taking action on the ACL_CONNECT broadcast that wassent from the Android OS. Initially, the broadcast receiver class willattempt to stop the “watcher service” 12 a if the watcher service isrunning. At block 214 the Android OS has been handed an“Intent-To-Start” the watcher service 12 a. Arrow 216 indicates that theAndroid OS is handling the Intent-To-Start and starts the watcherservice 12 a. Block 218 indicates that the watcher service 12 a has beenstarted by the Android OS.

Arrow 220 represents the watcher service 12 a trying to initiate a SPPconnection with paired Bluetooth devices. Block 222 represents thewatcher service 12 a in the process of setting up a SPP connection withthe Bluetooth device (i.e., the hardware interconnect apparatus 10), aswell as initializing the Connect API 10 a′ on the apparatus 10, upon thewatcher service 12 a receiving a “CONNECT” command from the hardwareinterconnect apparatus 10 a. If the watcher service 12 a was previouslystarted with an intent that contains a parcelable Bluetooth device, itwill use that information to attempt to connect with the Bluetoothdevice. However, if no information was available it will query theAndroid OS for all paired (Bonded) Bluetooth devices and attempt toconnect to each one if they contain a specified label (e.g., “Livio”).The specific label is subject to change or to being extended. If one ofthe connections to a given Bluetooth device (in this example theapparatus 10), was successful, the attempts will stop and that devicewill be set as the device to perform SPP communication with. This willalso start the watcher service 12 a listening for the CONNECT packetfrom the hardware interconnect apparatus 10 to set up the Connect API.Arrow 224 indicates that the CONNECT packet was received by thesmartphone 14 and that the Connect API 10 a′ has been initialized.

Arrow 226 and block 228 indicate that the user hit a button on thehardware interconnect apparatus 10 that is set up to send a FOCUS_APPpacket through SPP as established by the Connect API 10 a′. At arrow 230the FOCUS APP packet is sent through the SPP connection established onthe Android powered smartphone 14. At arrow 232 the watcher service 12 ahas received the FOCUS_APP packet and will now be taking action on it.Block 234 represents the launching of the Splash Screen activity, thewatcher service 12 a class closing its SPP connection, and the watcherservice closing itself. Arrow 236 represents the Android OS handling theintent, and block 238 represents the Splash Screen activity running. TheSplash Screen activity may be used to display a logo screen beforelaunching the user selected default application as well as to performvarious start up tasks. It may contain a timed wait to display the logoscreen before continuing the chain to launch the selected defaultapplication by sending an “Intent-To-Start” the Auto Launch application12. Arrow 240 represents the Splash Screen activity running and aselected logo being displayed on the display of the user's smartphone.Block 242 represents the Splash Screen activity performing loadingfunctions, if needed, and waiting a certain time duration to appear inthe foreground before sending the “Intent-To-Start” message to theAndroid OS for the Android OS to start the Auto Launch application 12,as well as closing the Splash Screen activity. Arrow 244 represents thatthe data loading is finished and the wait time is over.

Arrow 246 represents that the Splash Screen activity sends the AndroidOS an “Intent-To-Start” message with “Intent-A-String-Extra” that statesto launch the Auto Launch application 12. Block 248 represents theIntent being sent and handled to start the Auto Launch application 12.

Arrow 250 represents that the Android OS is handling the Intent andstarts the Auto Launch application 12. Block 252 represents the AutoLaunch application 12 operating. When it starts up it will query theAndroid OS for all installed application packages. These may all bedisplayed in a custom view layout that may include, for example, theapplication icon, the name of the application and a radio button. If auser selects one of the applications by a finger/click press, the rowbackground may turn to a different color or shade, and the radio buttonmay also change to the set position image. This may also cause thepreviously set (i.e., old) default application to go back to thestandard state of a certain gradient, for example a white gradientimage, and with the “not set” radio button image displayed next to theicon. This is also the main GUI (graphic user interface). The user canalso select which application to set as the default application whichwill be started automatically by the Auto Launch application 12. At thisGUI the user may also choose different application specific settings.Block 252 is also responsible for storing the default applicationinformation and launching the default application on receiving thecorresponding Intent.

Arrows 254 a and 254 b represent the Auto Launch application 12 havingread in the Intent String Extra and doing two things. At block 256 theIntent has been sent and is being handled to start the selected defaultapplication set by the user. The user selected default applicationinformation is saved to a shared preference instance in the Android OS.Arrow 258 represents the Android OS handling the Intent and starting thedefault application that was specified from the Auto Launch application12. Block 260 represents the default application that was launched fromthe Auto Launch application 12. User selected default applicationinformation is saved to a shared preference instance in the Android OS.Block 262 represents sending and handling of the “Intent-To-Start” thePolling Service. Arrow 264 represents the Android OS handling the“Intent-To-Start” and starting the Polling Service, and block 266represents the Polling Service running. The Polling Service's main taskis to run a query on an Activity Manager running on the smartphone 14 tofind out if the default application that was launched from the AutoLaunch application 12 is still running. This timer may happen every fewseconds, for example every five seconds. It will close itself on findingthe application 12 not running anymore and then start the WatcherService 12 a.

Arrow 268 and block 270 represent the user hitting the “Back” button onhis/her smartphone 14 while the launched default application was in theforeground. This would, of course, close the default application andreturn control to the Auto Launch application 12. The Android OS willthen determine the next course of action.

At arrow 272 the Polling Service starts a timer represented by block274. This timer may be run every few seconds, such as every fiveseconds. At arrow 276 the Android OS recognizes the Auto Launchapplication 12 was the last process on the stack previous to the defaultapplication. The Android OS then returns the Auto Launch application 12to the foreground. This makes a call to an “onResume” subroutine withinthe activity. As described in the Android document on ActivityLifecycles, the onResume subroutine will be called when the user returnsto the application. This function is part of an “Activity” class of theAuto Launch application 12 and it has been overridden to performspecific actions, as indicated by line 282.

Arrow 278 represents the timer having found the default application tobe running. It stops its query and waits to be started again. Arrow 280represents the timer as not having found the default application to berunning anymore. The Polling Service sends the Android OS an “Intent ToStart” the Watcher Service 12 a.

The arrow 282 represents the onResume subroutine contained code to sendan Intent to the Android OS to start the Watcher Service 12 a.

Arrow Block 284 represents the closing of the Polling Service upon nolonger finding the default application to be running. Line 286represents the Polling Service has closed itself and the flow restartsat block 214.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the Auto Launchapplication 12 significantly enhances the convenience to users in usingthe various applications on their smartphones. This is especially sowhen the user is operating a motor vehicle, and even more so for usersthat are in their vehicles for a good part of each day, and whorepeatedly have to stop, leave their vehicle for a short while, and thenget back into the vehicle and drive to a different location before againleaving the vehicle for a short while. The Auto Launch application 12also eliminates the possibility that the user may realize, only afterre-entering his/her vehicle and driving onto a crowded street, freewayor highway, that he/she needs to manually restart an application, andthen must pull off the road and manually enter the proper command tohis/her phone to restart the default application on his/her smartphone.

Moreover, it is an advantage that the Auto Launch application 12 can beconfigured to work with a variety of applications that are available foruse on smartphones, regardless of the operating system that thesmartphone employs. In this regard the Auto Launch application 12 isable to detect the specific application that the user has set as thedefault application, and includes the necessary command to start, orre-start, the application as soon as the user enters the vehicle 18.

While various embodiments have been described, those skilled in the artwill recognize modifications or variations which might be made withoutdeparting from the present disclosure. The examples illustrate thevarious embodiments and are not intended to limit the presentdisclosure. Therefore, the description and claims should be interpretedliberally with only such limitation as is necessary in view of thepertinent prior art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for automatically restarting anapplication running on a smartphone present in a predeterminedenvironment, after the application has been paused, the systemcomprising: a hardware interconnect apparatus configured to establish afirst communications link with the smartphone, and a secondcommunications link with an electronic device present at thepredetermined environment; and a processor executable auto launchapplication adapted to run on the smartphone, to detect when apreviously selected application has been at least one of stopped orpaused, and to automatically re-start the previously selectedapplication without a command being physically entered on the smartphoneby a user of the smartphone.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the firstcommunications link comprises a wireless communications link.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the first communications link comprises ahardwired connection between the smartphone and the hardwareinterconnect apparatus.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein thepredetermined environment comprises a vehicle, and wherein theelectronic device comprises a device that produces an audio signal. 5.The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a radio.6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor executablewatcher service application configured to run on the smartphone, andfurther configured to assist in establishing the first communicationswireless link with the hardware interconnect apparatus.
 7. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the watcher service application automatically attemptsto establish the first communications link when the smartphone isbrought in proximity to the electronic device of the predeterminedenvironment by the user of the smartphone.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein the second communications link established between the hardwareinterconnect apparatus and the radio system comprises a second wirelesscommunications link.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processorexecutable auto launch application is further configured to obtain atleast one variable associated with the user selected defaultapplication.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardwareinterconnect apparatus is configured to broadcast a connection requestsignal when it is initially powered on.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein the connection request signal comprises a radio identificationsignal.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first communicationslink comprises a short range wireless signal formed by a serial portprofile (SPP) signal link which is established subsequent totransmission of the connection request signal to the smartphone.
 13. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein a splash screen notification is generated ona display of the smartphone while the auto launch application obtainsthe at least one variable.
 14. A system for automatically restarting anapplication running on a smartphone present in a vehicle, after theapplication has been one of paused or stopped at a first time when theuser leaves the vehicle, and re-enters the vehicle at a second timesubsequent to the first time, the system comprising: a hardwareinterconnect apparatus configured to transmit a first wireless signal toestablish a first wireless communications link with the smartphone, anda second wireless signal to establish a second wireless communicationslink with an electronic device of the vehicle; a processor executableauto launch application adapted to run on the smartphone and toautomatically launch a user preselected application; a processorexecutable watcher service application adapted to run on the smartphoneand to monitor for the first wireless signal being transmitted from thehardware interconnect apparatus, and to assist in establishing the firstwireless communications link without intervention by the user; and theprocessor executable auto launch application further being configured todetect when a previously selected application has been at least one ofstopped or paused, and to automatically re-start the previously selectedapplication without intervention by a user of the smartphone when thesmartphone is brought into proximity with the hardware interconnectapparatus.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor executableauto launch application is further configured to obtain at least onevariable associated with the user selected default application.
 16. Thesystem of claim 14, wherein the hardware interconnect apparatus isconfigured to broadcast a connection request signal when it is initiallypowered on.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first wirelesssignal comprises a serial port profile (SPP) signal link which isestablished subsequent to transmission of the connection request signalto the smartphone.
 18. The system of claim 15, wherein a splash screennotification is generated on a display of the smartphone while the autolaunch application obtains the at least one variable.
 19. A smartphoneadapted to automatically re-start an application running on thesmartphone that had been previously interrupted without intervention orassistance by a user of the smartphone, the smartphone comprising: ahardware interconnect apparatus configured to establish a short rangewireless communications link with the smartphone, and a secondcommunications link with a electronic device present at thepredetermined environment; a processor executable auto launchapplication adapted to run on the smartphone, to detect when apreviously selected application has been at least one of stopped orpaused, and to automatically re-start the previously selectedapplication without a command being physically entered on the smartphoneby a user of the smartphone; a processor executable watcher serviceapplication adapted to run on the smartphone and to monitor for awireless signal being transmitted from a remote hardware interconnectapparatus, and to assist in establishing the first wirelesscommunications link with the remote hardware interconnect apparatuswithout intervention by the user; and the first wireless communicationslink enabling the re-started, previously selected application to supplycontent being received by the smartphone to the remote hardwareinterconnect apparatus.
 20. The smartphone of claim 19, wherein theprocessor executable auto launch application is further configured toobtain at least one variable associated with the previously selectedapplication.
 21. The smartphone of claim 19, wherein the processorexecutable watcher service application is configured to watch for abroadcast connection signal from the hardware interconnect apparatus.22. A method for automatically restarting an application running on asmartphone present in a predetermined environment, after the applicationhas been paused, the method comprising: using an interconnect apparatus,configured to establish a first wireless communications link with thesmartphone, to also establish a second wireless communications link withan electronic device present at the predetermined environment; using anauto launch application adapted to run on the smartphone, to detect whena previously selected application has been at least one of stopped orpaused; using the auto launch application to automatically re-start thepreviously selected application without a command being physicallyentered on the smartphone by a user of the smartphone; using a watcherapplication on the smartphone to inform the smartphone when a wirelesssignal is detected from the interconnect device; subsequent to receivingthe wireless signal from the interconnect device, establishing the firstwireless communications link between the interconnect apparatus and thesmartphone without user intervention; and using the first wirelesscommunications link to supply content being received by the smartphoneto the interconnect apparatus, and using the second wirelesscommunications link to communicate between the hardware interconnectapparatus and the electronic device.